Amber Mark to open. The singer’s latest single ‘Heatwave’ came out recently and immediately had Pitchfork calling it a “pop song built from melodies
…

Another sold-out area appearance, this time with a huge pineapple disco ball…?!

Glass Animals was back in town, this time at the recently refurbished Palace Theatre in downtown St. Paul, still showing everyone how to be a human being, and continuing their string of sold-out area shows, something they’ve done every time they’ve played here, from the smallest clubs to now the bigger theaters. Unless you got a ticket early, you were likely on the outside, while the 2,800 inside were having the time of their lives.

Opening the evening was the worldly sounds of Amber Mark, who describes her musical style as “a mix of alternative R&B, mixed with a little tribal and topped off with a little soul”. Mark spent her youth in Miami, New York, Berlin, and India, and those influences carry into her music including recent single ‘Heatwave’ (Interscope Records) which oozes both cool and heat at the same time.

As smooth as Sade or Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark and her three-piece band put a soulful sheen on her ten-song, forty-minute set that won over the crowd and had many swaying in place to her island influenced beats.

The good thing about the renovated Palace Theatre is that the sound carries easily, and that is also the bad thing as conversations in the back bar can travel forward, but the music can also permeate that back area as well, and Mark’s songs and stage demeanor ended up winning the day.

With fog creeping onto a set decorated with palm trees, illuminated 8-bit Tetris-style framing block corners and back “GA” logo, and a random TV with lit screen, Glass Animals took to the stage in dim lighting for their seventy-five minute headlining set.

The band was across the river just last October at Myth in Maplewood (for yes, another sold-out show) and is still in support of How to Be a Human Being (Wolf Tone / Harvest Records / Caroline International), which has gained even more momentum and buzz since they were last here.

Singer Dan Bayley (an American whose family transplanted to the UK at age 13) was as restless as the last time we saw him, a bustling ball of energy that rarely stood still, often jumping, ducking, and weaving like a prizefighter, as the songs unfolded.

The crowd was immediately on the band’s side from the opening number, ‘Life Itself’ singing the song choruses often as loud or louder than the band, and with hands in the air most of the night. “You guys sound damn good!” Bayley admitted as the crowd sang ‘Hazey’ as Bayley held out his mic. Hazy could refer to the visuals as well, as the low lights and rolling fog gave the stage an appearance of a closed tropical nightclub after hours.

The band’s sound has developed on the acclaimed new record since Zaba, its 2014 predecessor, but still holds an element of indie quirkiness, in a similar vein as alt-j and other bands, much to the delight of their fans.

With plenty of shadows to hide in, the rest of the band (Drew MacFarlane; Edmund Irwin-Singer; Joe Seaward) mostly kept to the background, concentrating on the music that propelled the set.

For ‘Season 2 Episode 3’, Bayley appropriately stood on top of the television, its lightly illuminated screen moving from pale blues to pastel pinks. “This is fun!” Bayley glowed before ‘Youth’ worked up the crowd with Bayley resuming his never sedentary disposition, in full motion again.

The traditional theater set-up made it a bit more difficult to reach out into the crowd (versus a club) but Bayley made the most of things by getting up close with people in the front during ‘Gooey’, with several singing into his mic as he passed.

The main set closed with ‘Agnes’ the most recent and fifth single from the newest album (the music video was released in August). Bayley has professed the song to be his favorite on the record and its lyrics are perhaps the band’s most personal about the weight of grief, and probably the saddest song Bayley said he’ll ever write—an odd choice to end? Perhaps, but the music, which builds with its lyrics and the transformative nature of the song as a whole, made it a fitting book end.

For their two-song encore, the band again began with a cover song, this time the Gnarls Barkley hit which began moodily and sparse, but would add tempo, a sped-up drum beat, and funky guitar riff to its chorus.

“Well guys, it’s been kinda fun, but this is gonna be our last song” Bayley said (to a mix of cheers and groans) as everyone began clapping double time to the beginnings of ‘Pork Soda’.

The giant, reflective pineapple which looked a little imposing held aloft at the back of the stage came to full life, revolving with lights bouncing off it into every corner of the theater as it was gradually lowered from its perch.

“Pineapples are in my head, got nobody 'cause I'm brain-dead” the crowd chanted along with Bayley, grooving along with that massive, spinning disco pineapple. The crowd roared as the song built up to its end, with Bayley handing an actual pineapple to a mass of outstretched hands up front.

Even more rabid than previous crowds, Glass Animals proved their popularity is still on the climb, meaning they’ll no doubt play an even larger venue next time through and as they have successfully sold out every show they’ve played in the area, be sure to get tickets right away… or risk not having a great time, and knowing about pork sodas and disco pineapples.

Amber Mark to open. The singer’s latest single ‘Heatwave’ came out recently and immediately had Pitchfork calling it a “pop song built from melodies
…

Another sold-out area appearance, this time with a huge pineapple disco ball…?!

Glass Animals was back in town, this time at the recently refurbished Palace Theatre in downtown St. Paul, still showing everyone how to be a human being, and continuing their string of sold-out area shows, something they’ve done every time they’ve played here, from the smallest clubs to now the bigger theaters. Unless you got a ticket early, you were likely on the outside, while the 2,800 inside were having the time of their lives.

Opening the evening was the worldly sounds of Amber Mark, who describes her musical style as “a mix of alternative R&B, mixed with a little tribal and topped off with a little soul”. Mark spent her youth in Miami, New York, Berlin, and India, and those influences carry into her music including recent single ‘Heatwave’ (Interscope Records) which oozes both cool and heat at the same time.

As smooth as Sade or Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark and her three-piece band put a soulful sheen on her ten-song, forty-minute set that won over the crowd and had many swaying in place to her island influenced beats.

The good thing about the renovated Palace Theatre is that the sound carries easily, and that is also the bad thing as conversations in the back bar can travel forward, but the music can also permeate that back area as well, and Mark’s songs and stage demeanor ended up winning the day.

With fog creeping onto a set decorated with palm trees, illuminated 8-bit Tetris-style framing block corners and back “GA” logo, and a random TV with lit screen, Glass Animals took to the stage in dim lighting for their seventy-five minute headlining set.

The band was across the river just last October at Myth in Maplewood (for yes, another sold-out show) and is still in support of How to Be a Human Being (Wolf Tone / Harvest Records / Caroline International), which has gained even more momentum and buzz since they were last here.

Singer Dan Bayley (an American whose family transplanted to the UK at age 13) was as restless as the last time we saw him, a bustling ball of energy that rarely stood still, often jumping, ducking, and weaving like a prizefighter, as the songs unfolded.

The crowd was immediately on the band’s side from the opening number, ‘Life Itself’ singing the song choruses often as loud or louder than the band, and with hands in the air most of the night. “You guys sound damn good!” Bayley admitted as the crowd sang ‘Hazey’ as Bayley held out his mic. Hazy could refer to the visuals as well, as the low lights and rolling fog gave the stage an appearance of a closed tropical nightclub after hours.

The band’s sound has developed on the acclaimed new record since Zaba, its 2014 predecessor, but still holds an element of indie quirkiness, in a similar vein as alt-j and other bands, much to the delight of their fans.

With plenty of shadows to hide in, the rest of the band (Drew MacFarlane; Edmund Irwin-Singer; Joe Seaward) mostly kept to the background, concentrating on the music that propelled the set.

For ‘Season 2 Episode 3’, Bayley appropriately stood on top of the television, its lightly illuminated screen moving from pale blues to pastel pinks. “This is fun!” Bayley glowed before ‘Youth’ worked up the crowd with Bayley resuming his never sedentary disposition, in full motion again.

The traditional theater set-up made it a bit more difficult to reach out into the crowd (versus a club) but Bayley made the most of things by getting up close with people in the front during ‘Gooey’, with several singing into his mic as he passed.

The main set closed with ‘Agnes’ the most recent and fifth single from the newest album (the music video was released in August). Bayley has professed the song to be his favorite on the record and its lyrics are perhaps the band’s most personal about the weight of grief, and probably the saddest song Bayley said he’ll ever write—an odd choice to end? Perhaps, but the music, which builds with its lyrics and the transformative nature of the song as a whole, made it a fitting book end.

For their two-song encore, the band again began with a cover song, this time the Gnarls Barkley hit which began moodily and sparse, but would add tempo, a sped-up drum beat, and funky guitar riff to its chorus.

“Well guys, it’s been kinda fun, but this is gonna be our last song” Bayley said (to a mix of cheers and groans) as everyone began clapping double time to the beginnings of ‘Pork Soda’.

The giant, reflective pineapple which looked a little imposing held aloft at the back of the stage came to full life, revolving with lights bouncing off it into every corner of the theater as it was gradually lowered from its perch.

“Pineapples are in my head, got nobody 'cause I'm brain-dead” the crowd chanted along with Bayley, grooving along with that massive, spinning disco pineapple. The crowd roared as the song built up to its end, with Bayley handing an actual pineapple to a mass of outstretched hands up front.

Even more rabid than previous crowds, Glass Animals proved their popularity is still on the climb, meaning they’ll no doubt play an even larger venue next time through and as they have successfully sold out every show they’ve played in the area, be sure to get tickets right away… or risk not having a great time, and knowing about pork sodas and disco pineapples.